RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Development of Quality Assurance and Quality Control Guidelines for Respiratory Oscillometry in Clinic Studies
JF Respiratory Care
FD American Association for Respiratory Care
SP 1687
OP 1693
DO 10.4187/respcare.07412
VO 65
IS 11
A1 Joyce KY Wu
A1 Emily DeHaas
A1 Richard Nadj
A1 Aloysius Brandon Cheung
A1 Ronald J Dandurand
A1 Zoltán Hantos
A1 Clodagh M Ryan
A1 Chung-Wai Chow
YR 2020
UL http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/65/11/1687.abstract
AB BACKGROUND: The guidelines to conduct and interpret conventional pulmonary function (PFT) tests are frequently reviewed and updated. However, the quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) guidelines for respiratory oscillometry testing remain limited. QA/QC guidelines are essential for oscillometry to be used as a diagnostic pulmonary function test (PFT) in a clinical setting.METHODS: We developed a QA/QC protocol shortly after oscillometry was introduced in our laboratory as part of a clinical study. The first clinical study began after the research personnel completed 3 h of combined didactic and hands-on training and establishment of a standard operating protocol (SOP) for oscillometry testing. All oscillometry tests were conducted using the initial SOP protocol from October 17, 2017, to April 6, 2018. At this time, the first QA/QC audit took place, followed by revisions to the SOP, the addition of a QA/QC checklist, and the development of a 12-h training program. A second audit of oscillometry tests was conducted from April 9, 2018, to June 30, 2019. Both audits were completed by a registered cardiopulmonary technologist from the Toronto General Pulmonary Function Lab.RESULTS: The first audit evaluated 197 paired oscillometry-PFT tests and found 10 tests (5.08%) to be invalid, with a coefficient of variation > 15%. The second audit examined 1,930 paired oscillometry-PFT tests; only 3 tests (0.16%) were unacceptable, with a coefficient of variation > 15%. Improvement in QA/QC was significantly better compared to the first audit (P < .001).CONCLUSIONS: Although oscillometry requires minimal subject cooperation, application of the principles that govern the conduct and application of a PFT are important for ensuring that oscillometry testing is performed according to acceptability and reproducibility. Specifically, the inclusion of a SOP, a proper training program, a QA/QC checklist, and regular audits with feedback are vital to ensure that oscillometry is conducted accurately and precisely.